Meet Our Staff

  Michelle has been our Practice Manager since November of 2021. She was previously in retail management, but joined our family because of her true love of animals. She has a dog named Pepper who she loves more than anything! Her favorite animal is a pig because they are incredibly smart and cute. She has been on the game show "Get a Clue" with her mom and sisters, but unfortunately didn't win. When she isn't at work, Michelle enjoys reading, watching movies, and ghost hunting! 

   Chelsea is our in-house "cat whisperer". She is an Arizona girl who has assisted in rescuing, fostering, and rehoming numerous cats and kittens. She has 7 cats and 1 dog of her own, all of which have special needs (two of them are missing a limb!). Chelsea's passion for the care of animals surpasses that of most. She has been working in veterinary medicine since 2016 and has an Associate Degree in Veterinary Science. She is a Certified Veterinary Technician and a member of AAFP. Chelsea joined the Westside Team in August of 2020 and we couldn't appreciate her more  

 Kari has been wrestling with dogs and cats as a technician since 1990 and has been with Westside Veterinary clinic since August of 2007. She has a passion for adopting animals from rescues or shelters and giving them a great home. She’s currently putting a lot of her free time into making a completely edible landscape in her backyard that consists of currants, greens, peas, broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, cilantro, potatoes, and more! Kari loves to go hiking with her dog, Zip, and loves her hobby as a contra dancer and caller. When she needs to take a break and recharge Kari loves to visit Point Reyes National Seashore as well as Pagosa Springs. We would be lost without Kari’s loving smile here at Westside. 

Chelsea moved to Flagstaff from Santa Cruz County, California. She has been with Westside Veterinary Clinic since December 2021. Her favorite animals are dogs because of how loving and affectionate they are. She has a dog named Cole who loves to carry around sticks he finds on their adventures. They enjoy hiking and camping together. Chelsea enjoys training horses in her free time and loves to travel. She has been to Italy and has even performed at Carnegie Hall in New York!

Christine is a Certified Veterinary Technician who became a part of our team in March of 2020. She started her career in the veterinary field as a kennel kid when she was in highschool, and got her certification in January of 2019. She has lived in a number of different states and countries including Canada and Scotland! She is the self-proclaimed "chihuahua whisperer" and in her spare time she likes knitting, ceramics, snowboarding, and hiking (especially in the Grand Canyon). Christine loves providing quality care to pets, and enjoys working with our supportive and fun team at Westside!    

Sarah is a Certified Veterinary Technician who has been working in the veterinary field since 2007! She has spent 10 years with The Marine Mammal Center, 2 years with a cat hospital, and has worked with bats at Wupatki. Sarah joined our team in February of 2022. She has two cats named Frodo and Pippin who are best friends and inseparable. Her favorite animals are bats because they are the only flying mammal, are essential to their ecosystems, and are so cute! In her spare time she enjoys exploring new places in her Golf Alltrack and reading. Sarah's special skills include driving a stick-shift and some ASL! She is from Castro Valley, California and has lived in the Netherlands. She is currently enrolled at NAU and is doing a parks and recreation program.

     Angie moved here from California and joined our team at Westside in April of 2018. In California she worked as a casting director helping to fill rolls in movies and TV shows. She was even one of the casting directors for Lady Bird, a Golden Globe winner. She also has a daughter that hopes to one day be a forensic scientist. Angie’s love for animals and motivation to learn their behaviors has helped her fit right in at Westside. She even has 2 black labs and a tabby cat of her own at home. In her free time she loves to listen to music and also has a passion for flowers.

   Mika was born and raised in Japan and moved to Arizona where she graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Japanese and Asian Studies. Although Mika has had the privilege of working alongside many talented educators and guiding hundreds of children toward success in the classroom, she has always dreamed of working with animals and decided to change career paths. Mika has worked as a vet assistant in emergency veterinary medicine in the past, and joined Westside Veterinary Clinic in July 2020. In her free time, she enjoys painting and sketching, watching movies, fishing, and traveling. She loves spending her time outdoors with her 3 dogs Leeloo, Ellie, and Brotty, and caring for her 40 chickens (and yes, they all have names!)

    Melissa has been with Westside since January of 2021. She started out as a Veterinary Assistant, and quickly moved on to be a Technician with her keen skills and amazing ability. Originally from Kansas, Melissa has also lived in Pennsylvania, Oregon, and now Arizona! She has a small zoo at home consisting of 5 cats, 2 rats, 1 guinea pig, 1 leopard gecko, and 1 dog! Aside from her furry friends, she also has a husband and two wonderful daughters and enjoys outdoor adventures such as hiking, bouldering, and kayaking. Melissa is currently a student and committed to a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. She has been such a blessing to our family at Westside!

     A became a part of our family in April of 2021. They have previously interned with The Gentle Barn and rescues special needs animals. A currently has a deaf cattle dog, a neurodivergent poodle and two pit bulls with physical disabilities. They enjoy spending their free time by hiking and exploring new places with their dog, Tyson. They are multi-talented and are a licensed massage therapist, Reiki master teacher, animal communicator and death doula in training. Their favorite animal is a cow because cows are just giant puppies!

   Alicia was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and moved to Flagstaff in 2016 and joined our team in June of 2021. She can’t choose a favorite animal and loves them ALL because they each have such unique personalities. She has a small zoo of her own including a pacman frog, 2 cats, goldfish, betta fish, and a three-legged Russian hamster named Lt. Dan. In her spare time, Alicia loves to read, paint, and travel. 

  Alexia moved to Flagstaff and joined our team in October 2021 after living in North Dakota. She has a cat named Lady who acts like a dog and plays fetch! Her favorite animal is a cat because when cats show affection, they really love you. Alexia is very active and enjoys going to the gym, hiking, and swimming. She even works as a personal trainer when not at the clinic! She has been skydiving, but still thinks the most exciting thing she has ever done was when she moved across the country.  

Hannah Rae was hired as a veterinary technician in May, but has been a volunteer at the clinic since January! She used to live on a farm with 7 dogs growing up and her favorite animals are rescues. She loves rescuing dogs and has been blessed with 3 golden retriever rescues in the past. She has volunteer experience with animal rescues and is hoping to become a veterinarian in the future! In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and watching shows with her pups. She has 2 dogs, named Yuuki and Coco, and 1 fish named Glub Glub.

Joe moved to Flagstaff for college, but has lived in both California and Phoenix. He joined our team in May 2022. He loves plants and animals alike; Joe has over 50 houseplants! He also has 8 reptiles, a rabbit named Peaches, and a puppy named Toast. His favorite animal is an elephant because of how intelligent and family-oriented they are. In his free time, Joe loves hiking and exploring new places with his friends. He is currently going to school for biomedical sciences and plans on becoming a veterinarian! 

Angelina started working at Westside in April 2022. She has lived in Flagstaff her whole life, but has gone to school in Mesa, AZ. She graduated from Carrington College with a Veterinary Assistant Certificate. Her favorite animal is a dog because they are so affectionate and loyal. Angelina has two dogs of her own, a Bloodhound/Golden Retriever mix and a Chihuahua (both are very spoiled), and loves to go hiking with them. She enjoys camping and kayaking in her free time. Angelina hopes to swim with elephants one day!

Emily was raised in Phoenix and joined the Westside team in August 2022! She has five years of ER and surgery experience, but wanted to move to general practice for more personal patient relationships. She has two dogs, a three legged German Shepherd and a Pointer/Pitbull mix, as well as two cats (who think they're dogs)! Her favorite animal is a horse because they are sre strong, majestic, and always have a strong personality. When she isn't busy at the clinic, Emily enjoys hiking with her family and trying new baking recipes.

Libbie was born and raised in Flagstaff, and joined our team in June 2022. Her interest in the veterinary field comes from having many pets her whole life! She currently has 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 chinchillas, 5 chickens, a goat, 3 horses, and a frog! In her spare time she enjoys riding her horse and taking photos of animals. Her favorite animal is a skunk because they are so unique and misunderstood. Libbie is planning on becoming a professional dog trainer!

Sarah joined our Westside family in May 2022, but has lived in Flagstaff her whole life! She has previous volunteer work with animals, but has always wanted to work with them in a veterinary clinic! She has a dog, a cat, and two turtles. Her favorite animal is a panther because she loves big cats and the exciting wild world. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys hiking and camping with her two kids. Their favorite family-time activities are going to the zoo and to Diamondback games. Sarah is a jack of all trades and loves baking, sewing, singing, and more! One of the most exciting things she has done is explore countries like New Zealand and Australia as a student ambassador (she even got to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef!) 

Kristen was born and raised in Southern California, and has lived in Texas and New York City! She received her Bachelor’s in Biology and a Wildlife Management Certificate at NAU in 2018. She has interned at multiple zoos, working with a variety of animals including otters, zebra, and giraffes! Kristen joined our family in October 2021 after moving back to Flagstaff. She has two cats and a dog! When she isn't at the clinic, she enjoys hiking, reading, and training with her pets.